Sayak Basu
‘Dynasty’ is a throwback show to the numerous soaps which aired on TV from the 60s to 80s. The series follows a rich family called the Carrington. We see that Fallon Carrington, the heiress to the patriarch Blake, is upset after her father married one of his employees. Fallon tries to separate the couple, but her plan only damages her career as she loses an opportunity for promotion because of her behavior. Then we see Fallon working with one of her father’s rivals to teach him a lesson. But problems arise when Sam, the nephew of her father’s new wife, Cristal, arrives in the scene and gets romantically involved with Fallon’s brother Steven.
The series focuses on the family’s internal conflicts and struggles to get hold of the huge business empire owned by Blake. Such shows are generally called soap operas. These shows generally have solid no storylines and they focus mostly on tracing the lives of numerous characters through their ups and downs in life. The name “soap opera” is derived from the fact that such shows used to be broadcast on the radio often and soap companies were their main sponsors. Interestingly, the longest-running soap opera, which airs on BBC Radio to this day, ‘The Archers’, first started airing in 1950. The first televised soap is called ‘Coronation Street’, and it has been on air since 1960. If you enjoy such soap operas or stories about the rise and fall of an institution and would like to check out some more, then you have come to the right place. Here’s the list of best shows similar to ‘Dynasty’ that are our recommendations. You can watch several of these series like ‘Dynasty’ on Netflix, Hulu or Amazon Prime.
9. Days Of Our Lives (1965-)
One of the oldest TV soaps ever, ‘Days Of Our Lives’ first started airing on NBC in 1965. The show is mainly focused on the lives of certain doctors and other professionals in the town of Salem. We see the characters mingle with each other, and we are privy to their stories of life, growing up, friendships, relationships, and so on. Publications have always upheld the fact that this series has never shied away from portraying characters which were not really common on American television. Artificial fertilization for a child, romantic relationships between races were portrayed in this series in a deft fashion which made it one of the most progressive shows of its time. However, as time went by, in order to add some spice to the plot, the showmakers decided to include some supernatural angles in the series. Both critics and certain members of the cast, however, did not take to this decision warmly. The show received numerous awards, including the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series on four occasions.
8. Succession (2018-)
This HBO series focuses on the lives of embers of the Roy family. The family owns a huge business, which is one of the biggest entertainment companies in the world, and we witness the struggles of power between several characters who wish to inherit the property. The show received positive reviews upon its release, and also won a number of awards.
7. The Young and the Restless (1973-)
‘The Young And The Restless’ is a TV soap opera which has been airing on CBS since 1973. The show is set in a fictional town called Genoa City, Wisconsin. The story revolves around the lives of two families. One of the families is the rich-upper class Brooks family while the other one is the Foster family. The show was made after the popularity of youth-oriented series on ABC like ‘All My Children’, ‘One Life to Live’, and ‘General Hospital’. The show celebrated the airing of its 11000th episode in 2016. It has won a whopping 116 Daytime Emmy Awards.
6. General Hospital (1963-)
‘General Hospital’ is what we can call a medical soap opera. The show has a place in the Guinness World Records as America’s longest-running soap opera and the second-longest running drama show on American television. Created by Frank and Doris Hursley, the show focuses on the lives of two families, the Quartermaines and the Spencers. The former family is very rich and controls numerous business in the town of Port Charles. The 14000th episode of the show was aired on February 23, 2018.
5. The Get Down (2016-2017)
‘The Get Down‘ chronicles the rise in popularity of one of the most influential genres of music ever — hip hop. The story of the show is set in South Bronx, New York. Through a group of teenagers, we get to see the advent of newer musical genres like disco and hip hop. The lead character of the show is a famous rapper called MC Books. Each episode begins at a concert by the artist where he raps about the several ups and downs that he suffered in his life. After the opening credits, we shift back to a time when Books was younger and we discover that his real name is Zeke. Zeke’s parents are dead and he lives with his aunt Wanda. Moreover, he meets a DJ and along with him, creates a group called “The Get Down Brothers”.
Besides focusing on the music and the new hip-hop culture in New York, we are also made witness to the severe gang violence that was common in the rough neighborhoods. The poverty, racism, and fear of life that the Bronx witnessed are deftly portrayed in the series. Despite the show receiving critical acclaim, Netflix canceled it after the first season.
4. Devious Maids (2013-2016)
Created by Mark Cherry, this show crosses genres, merging in the comedy-drama aspect and the mystery angle as well. The leading characters of the show are four Latina maids who work for some of the richest people living in Beverly Hills. What these maids witness while working for some of the most influential Americans is many-a-times illegal. They also get to know the secrets of such people from very close quarters. The first season of the show follows the murder of one such Latina girl called Flora Hernandez. In the second series, the character Marisol becomes the center of the story as she tries to solve a mystery she believes her fiance is associated with.
3. The Royals (2015-2018)
‘The Royals’ is a soap opera which premiered on E! in March 2015. The lead character of the show is Helena, the British royal family matriarch who has to deal with several internal and external difficulties as she waits for her eldest son to be crowned the King of England. The two other younger children, Prince Liam and Princess Eleanor, do not enjoy restrictions and want to enjoy their lives to the fullest. They know that they do not have to live up to any image because their elder brother Robert will succeed their father. However, things do not turn out in such a fashion as Robert is murdered and the family falls into utter chaos. Now Liam has to be groomed for his new responsibility as heir apparent to England’s throne.
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2. House Of Cards (2013-2018)
Adapted from a 1990 British series of the same name, ‘House of Cards‘ centers around a ruthless politician called Francis (Frank) Underwood and his rise to power as the President of the United States of America. When the story starts, Underwood is serving as the whip of the Democratic Party. The election results are out and Frank, after working really hard to win the elections for his party, wants to be placed as the Secretary of State. However, President-elect Walker rejects his proposal and asks him to continue as the party’s whip. Enraged, Frank and his wife Claire plan ways in which he could teach Walker a lesson.
Finally, at the end of season two, after a lot of sweat and bloodshed, Underwood starts serving as the POTUS. However, his problems have just begun. Numerous people are after his seat and he has to navigate through all that murk while running his country. In the last season, Claire Underwood (Robin Wright) played the leading character of the story after Netflix fired Kevin Spacey (Underwood) from the cast when news about his sexual molestation surfaced.
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1. Dynasty: The Reunion (1991)
It seems befitting to end this list with Dynasty’s Reunion miniseries. After ‘Dynasty’ stopped airing in 1989, this reunion miniseries brought together all the beloved characters of the show once again. In the final episode of ‘Dynasty’, we saw Blake Carrington being shot. However, in this series, we see that he did not die from the attack and is still alive. Moreover, his wife Krystle was also in a coma. When the couple reunite, they do so to bring their family together once again. We see that Blake’s son, Steven, from his earlier wife is a lobbyist for environmental issues and their daughter Fallon is raising her children.
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